


Curiosity Kills the Loth-Cat

by mudkipwrites



Category: Campaign (Podcast)
Genre: Age Difference, Backstory, Bodyguard, Broken Families, Developing Friendships, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Protectiveness, Touch-Starved, Trust Issues, Xenophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mudkipwrites/pseuds/mudkipwrites
Summary: A newly-employed Agent Zero fields a few prying questions from his curious employer.
Relationships: Blue & Zero (Campaign Podcast)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Curiosity Kills the Loth-Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this fic is about exploring the developing friendship between Blue and Zero. Blue's still a teenager here. It's not intended to be sexual right now.

* * *

Two weeks ago--when he'd first taken this bodyguard assignment to Young Lord Adnau Wrengen--Zero had _not_ been prepared for how much _work_ it would take to keep his obnoxiously _curious_ brain occupied. 

"What's this?" Blue asks Zero (for what must be the _billionth_ time that day). The human teenager is sitting cross-legged upon his luxurious bed, prodding at his bodyguard's many cybernetic part. Adnau-- _Blue--_ has a room much like the rest of Wrengen Manor: cold, shadowed, and dark. However, there's some distinctive...B _lue-ness_ about it: a soft backdrop of music _(orchestra string instruments)_ ; a humming and glowing of recent inventions; and, of course, the incessant chatter of _questions_. 

"What's _that?"_

He reaches his slim fingers towards Zero's exposed neck joint. 

_"That's_ my oxygen filter" Zero replies, gently pushing away Blue's hands. "Helps me process the air around here."

Blue has been exploring the exposed wires of Zero's neck cache today; because--for _some_ reason that still escapes him--Zero has allowed Blue to take off the cover plate upon his neck and clavicle so that he can actually _touch_ the cybernetic contents with his human hands.

 _Kark,_ Blue is persuasive.

"Around _here?"_ the teen asks quickly. "So: you're _not_ Mandalorian."

This information does not seem to be a surprise him ( _although_ , Zero thinks darkly, _little does seem to surprise the nerdy little human)._ According to his paperwork, the pale, red-haired teenager is some kinda genius. And not only that, but the sole heir of the reigning Minister of Propaganda, and has apparently inherited many of her best qualities.

 _Guess that makes him special enough to have a bodyguard,_ Zero thinks to himself. _Either that, or a whole lotta credits._

Blue continues to watch Zero carefully, with that same, scrutinizing gaze most people fix upon data-pads. Zero shifts uncomfortably, getting the feeling that he's being _read._

"Lots of personal questions today," he offers, pointing out the intrusion and shifting away from the question. 

The sides of Blue's thin mouth quirk. He reaches forward, once again ghosting his pale, freckled fingertips over Zero's wires. 

_"Easy!"_ he chuckles, suddenly ticklish, as Blue probes a finger into the opening. "I just said that's how I _breathe_ , Blue!"

And yet, for all the seriousness of his words, here's no bite behind the warning. In truth, Zero knows that he is in no danger. He's just not sure that he _wants_ Blue's skinny fingers that far into his vitals. For a moment, Blue looks abashed. But then, just as quickly, his ever-present curiosity returns.

"Your accent is strange," the human says casually.

His vivid, cobalt-blue eyes are trained upon Zero's wires, but Zero can tell that he's fishing for more information. As his ward inspects the intricate weaving of exposed flesh and of wire, his breath is warm and soft against Zero's shoulder, and Zero shivers from the unfamiliar feeling of contact. 

"Yep, you're right," he agrees. "I'm not Mandalorian."

 _Shouldn't hurt to admit that. He's probably figured that much out by now already._ Indeed, Zero watches as Blue's thin lips curve into a secretive smile. It's as if each piece of information that he harvests from Zero is a treasure to him, coveted and deeply dangerous to obtain. 

"I think it's more than that," Blue continues. "I think that you're a cyborg." _(He says this as though not already hands-deep in Zero's tech)._

Zero rolls his eyes.

"Nah," he replies dryly. "I just grew some circuits one day. Thought it sounded like fun."

The human gives him a curious look, as though he does not know exactly how to process his sarcasm. But then, once he calculates Zero's tone, Blue gives a monotone, flat-sounding laugh. 

"Ha, ha." he says. His eyes focus back upon Zero's tech, and Zero feels himself sighing and closing his eyes. 

_This is nice,_ he thinks. _It's nice to have someone interested in how this all works._

Before he can relax too much, Blue's next question jerks him alert:

"And I think...that you're not _human."_

Zero's internal alarms begin to scream.

The teen says it casually, easily; as if there are no repercussions. As if Agent Zero will not lose his job, maybe even his license, if he answers that question too honestly. _Am I, someone pretending to be a human, secretly an illegal non-human? Potentially a dangerous, criminal one?_ Shifting upon the bed, he weighs the advantages and disadvantages of simply _lying_ to his employer; but he dashes those thoughts just as quickly as they have arisen. _Blue's too clever by half. He can't just keep his nose in his own karking business. Kriff!_ "

"...Getting kinda _nosey_ , there, Blue..." Zero finally responds, layering his voice with a tone of warning. 

_Take the hint._ _Don't ask me._ Zero knows the stakes: he knows that Ganks like him aren't exactly _welcome_ in the human-centered circles of the Galactic Empire. And that they _certainly_ aren't welcome in the employment of prestigious families like the Wrengens of Mandalore, who so carefully protect their assets and bloodlines. And credits. _If you want me here, don't ask me._

"Well? _Are_ you?" Blue presses. 

Zero gives a sigh of irritation. 

"What kinda jerk question is _that_?" he finally snaps.

And, apparently, _too_ quickly: because the human _immediately_ withdraws and retreats into himself, curling his curious mind tightly away. A calm, passive mask drops over his face, and his blue eyes shutter defiant and closed. A polite, casual smile stretches over his lips, but it doesn't make Zero feel good: in fact, it looks like something that has been perfected and painted over the empty face of a doll.

"My apologies, Agent." Blue replies cooly, elegantly. "It was my mistake to speak of such informalities." 

The teen gets off of his bed to inspect the readouts of one of his glowing inventions. In the icy, uncomfortable silence between them, Zero regrets speaking so sharply to Blue. It has become apparent to him, far too quickly, that Blue is _used_ to being treated in such a dismissive manner; as though he is someone whose opinion might be ignored and discarded. For these reasons, he is not surprised that the human disappears behind his mask; and that he holds the fragile pieces of his true, brilliant self close to his chest.

"Hey, Blue, look..." Zero begins. "I'm _sorry_ for yelling atcha, alright? Come on back over here. I'd...i'd like your help putting this clavicle plate back o?." He gestures to his still-exposed neck joint. "If you're up for it?" 

Despite his armored shell of etiquette, Zero can still see the glimmer of Blue's curious attention. The teen turns around quickly, taking two long, leggy strides towards the bed, until he is kneeling once again at Zero's shoulder. Sitting tall, Zero stiffens: Blue moves from moment to moment in such a rapid pace, sometimes, he can hardly keep track of him. 

"Thanks," Blue breathes. Even though he is quiet, Zero can feel the gratitude in his careful ministrations. As he leans in close, warm breath fogging the glass of Zero's helmet, he delicately plucks one red wire away from the catche. 

"Does this seem a bit... _loose_ to you?" the human asks, carefully pinching the wire between his pale forefinger and thumb. "I'm not sure about your full setup, but this seems like it should be more tightly connected." His freckled nose is now scrunched up in concentration, and his forehead now nearly rests upon Zero's shoulder. It makes him look so much _older_ than he actually is. Kid was forced to grow up too fast. 

Zero swallows thickly, fighting back the flaring instinct to _run_. He's not used to being touched. 

"Not sure," he replies, casually as possible. "Let me take a quick diagnostic." 

Pushing down his surge of adrenaline, Zero checks the many read-outs inside of his helmet. _Breathe. It's fine. He's not going to hurt you._ After isolating the source of the wire, he spends a few moments pondering the output. When a soft _ping_ reaches his ears, alerting him of a problem, Zero raises his eyebrows in quiet surprise. 

"Hmm. I guess you're right? How'd you _know_?" he asks, impressed. 

Blue waves a free hand.

"I told you, Agent Zero. I've had _loads_ of practice on cyborgs. _All_ kinds. It's my _specialty_. One of these days--" he pauses, suddenly flicking his eyes up to meet Zero's faceplate,--"I'd like to see what's beneath that helmet of yours. Check out your systems. Offer a tune-up."

His voice is casual, but Zero can see from his infa-red that the human's pulse is pounding beneath his temple.

 _Fear? Fight or Flight?_

Zero feels that rush of anxiety once again. 

"No," he growls impatiently. "I told ya already, Blue: the helmet stays _on_."

 _Curiosity kills the Loth-cat!_ Zero thinks irritably. _Can't he just mind his own business?_ Blue's always pushing up against boundaries: boundaries of science; boundaries of wisdom; boundaries of relationship with other beings. Naturally, this _includes_ asking Zero about his face-mask. As he ponders Blue's persistence to throw himself upon potentially-lethal subjects, there's another long moment of quiet of silence. Zero looks up, seeing Blue sitting deliberately upon his hands, keeping them from further roaming over Zero's circuits. 

_"...Always?"_ he asks softly.

Zero finds himself caught off guard. _Is he--crying??--_

Blue's bright, inquisitive eyes are downcast. His shoulders are slumped, and he breathes in a way that suggests a tightness in his chest. 

_Are you kidding me? Why?? What--_

"It's nothing personal, Blue" Zero says quickly. He is annoyed at the guilt rising inside of him, and annoyed at his impulse to what to care for and protect Blue, even though it is his duty. _It's my business. It's personal._ _You don't get to know that._

"It's just cultural. Okay?"

Too late, Zero realizes that he's been _played_. Blue's head suddenly snaps up, alert. His eyes are bright, curious and clear: and they are fixed upon Zero in _triumph._

 _"_ _Is_ it?" he asks. His cheeks are flushing red with excitement, the fake tears still clinging to his translucent lashes. "An _alien_ custom, maybe?"

Zero feels his gloved, clawed hands clench into fists. 

_Sneaky bastard!_

"Now, hold, on there, Blue--"

Several things happen at once: Blue springs forward, hands outstretched for the hinge of Zero's helmet; Zero, a trained assassin, slides quickly out of his grasp; the bodyguard swings his mechanical arm around, easily sweeping Blue's weight out from underneath him; and, in a flipping moment, deposits Blue on his back to the bed.

Sprawled out in an inelegant heap, the human says: " _Oof!_ Wow, you're fast, Zero--"

"--Kriffing _hell_ , Blue!" he shouts. "You could've _hurt_ yourself!"

Zero finds himself panting. His HUD readouts are going _crazy,_ and there is a prickle underneath his skin that hells him that he _really_ ought to _flee right the hell now._

"Sorry." Blue wheezes, eyes locked upon Zero. There's a maniac sort of _gleam_ behind them right now; the kind that he gets when he has a new idea, or simply just wants to annoy."I--I just wanted to see what it is that you're _hiding_."

He says the last word in almost a reverent whisper. Then, his face splits into a wicked grin.

Zero gazes at him in confusion. _What. Is wrong with you, Blue,_ he thinks, shuddering at his chaotic twists of emotion. _This human. He's going to be the death of me. I just know it._

Inhaling deeply to center himself, Zero tries a calmer angle of argument.

"I'm _not_ hiding anything." He cringes: the lie sounds weak even to _him_. "I'm just as human as you are." 

"No you're _not,_ " Blue breathes. "You're _not_ human. You're an alien, aren't you?" 

"I'm _not_ going to answer that." 

"You're an _alien!"_

"And what makes you think that I'd even _tell_ you if I _was_?!" 

Blue crows with triumph. "I knew it!" He shouts. "I _knew_ it from the paperwork! You're very good, Zero: but _I_ just happen to be _better."_

The teen manages to look gleeful, arrogant, and absolutely ridiculous all at once, sprawled there on his much-too-large bed, upside-down, smiling as if it's Life Day.

"I was _right_ about your secret. You're _not_ a human bodyguard. You're an _alien."_

Zero's stomach twists into an uncomfortable knot. He feels his tactical suit beginning to exhale sweat from his alert pores. 

"You can't _prove_ that," he whispers. 

_This is not good. If the Wrengen family makes this kind of information public, my bounty-hunting reputation in this quadrent is done for._

"What _kind_ of alien are you?" Blue presses on breathlessly. 

Unlike what Zero had ever expected from such a revelation to a member of the Imperial core, Blue is awaiting each answer with bated breath: a kind of excited, _delighted_ curiosity, as though the thought of non-human races actually _appeals_ to him.

"Are you _humanoid_?" He stares at Zero's mask, as if, with enough power, he could muster looking right through the tint. "Did you come from _off-world?_ How long have you been pretending to be a human? What are your cells like? Are they similar to mine? Can I--" 

"Stop! What does it _matter?!"_

Once again, Blue draws back from Zero's anger; but this time, he appears too excited to shrink fully back into that polished shell. Instead, he flutters around Zero in a hilarious tension between curiosity and fear. Ultimately, when his fear wins, Blue backs up to the edged of the bed, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. 

"S-sorry." 

Zero curses himself. _Bodyguards are supposed to protect._ _If Blue knows, then, well, he knows. I'm just going to have to figure out how to trust him, as well as protect him._

"Look, Blue..." he sighs, resigned, looking for a way to soften his words. "I know that you like... _knowing_ things. And that you like being proven _right_. But this...this is personal to me, okay? It's actually _d_ _angerous._ "

Blue's breath catches within his chest. The idea seems to _delight_ him.

When he speaks again, he asks: "C-can I see your face?" 

Zero stares at him. 

_What?!_

"...Please?"

Carefully--as Agent Zero acts in the face of all imminent danger--he once again assess his risks and his options.

Blue is his employer: he could report his violation of Imperial code to his parents, just as easily as he could turn Zero into the authorities. Blue could have him tried, jailed, and perhaps, even _killed_. But then, young lord Adnau does not _seem_ to be disgusted with Zero, as so many others of the _Empire's finest_ so frequently are: in fact, he seems to be...maybe... _interested_? _Pleased?_ Analyzing Blue's flushed cheeks and raised heartbeat, his wide eyes and fluttering hands, Zero observes that teen is less _scared_ than filled with anticipation. 

He also _clearly_ has no idea what it means to ask a Gank to remove his mask. 

_"Please?_ " Blue begs. "I've never...I've always..."

There is something innocent and desperate about the way that he's asking Zero for this. And Zero finds that it's actually _chafing._

"I've never _seen_ a non-human before. I've _always_ wanted to. But they won't allow it within Imperial regulations! When I asked in class, I was told that I needed to focus my interests elsewhere! But that's a _stupid_ rule, Zero! I want to travel the _galaxy_! I want to meet other people, other beings! I need to travel beyond these stars, and to see the best of what other worlds have to offer. There's so much _more_ to life than this." 

Blue is panting with a heroic enthusiasm at completing his dramatic monologue.

As Zero watches him, he feels a tightness within his chest. It's not from fear. 

"If I...was..." he begins slowly, and Blue's eyes grow bigger, more hopeful. "If I _said_ I was... _non-human._..an _alien_....would that... _matter_? To you?"

He tries to keep his voice level as he poses the question. As though he is just asking another question, and not asking Blue if he believes that Zero's state of worth as a person is just as valuable as his humanness. Because, apparently, such things were up for discussion within the Imperial Core of the Empire. 

Blue looks confused. "Matter?" he asks. 

"Would I still have a job?" Zero asks, wishing that he could pinch the bridge of his nose. "If, _theoretically_ , I was _not_ human, would I still be able to work for you, with you? Would you want me to be around, serving as your bodyguard? 

_Do I have to explain privilege to you?_

Blue looks incredulous. 

"Yes?" He replies instantly. "Yes, of course, Agent Zero, you'd still work for me. And, no: of _course_ it doesn't matter. Not... in a bad way." He looks down, then looks up at his bodyguard through his eyelashes. _"_ And, anyway: it will be a secret. Just between us. Like: _best friends._ " 

_Between us._

Zero watches the earnest, pure look of curiosity unfolding upon Blue's face. He cannot _help_ but want to trust in him, even though he is clearly out of his depth. _Because, maybe,_ _this is the start of something that becomes solid,_ he thinks to himself, _moves beyond a paycheck, into actual friendship._ _Maybe, if Blue and I trust each other, this job will be different from all the rest. Maybe, this awkward, human teenager is actually_ worth _my time and protection; and we might even grow to appreciate one another as people in the long run._

Moving slowly so that he does not spook either of them, Zero slowly begins to take off his mask. 

"Just between us," Zero echoes. "Um. Well. Okay, then..."

The look of delight upon Blue's face is enough of a reward to make Zero forget just how _stupid_ this is.

"Just... _please,_ don't freak out. If you can manage it. That would be great..."

"I won't!" Blue whispers urgently. He's actually _trembling_.

Smiling slightly, Zero releases the hinges of his helmet. As he does this, he reflects that it might just be a _good_ thing that Blue has no idea how significant it is for a Gank to remove their helmet before another: outside of the rare celebrity such as the bounty-hunter,Tubiak, his species only remove their masks in the most intimate and trusted of occasions. For people with promises, life-debts, or lovers. 

_"Oh!"_ Blue gasps, a quick intake of breath. His face flushes with interest, and he leans forward almost irresistibly. "Oh, _wow,_ Zero, you're--"

His face, raw and naked in the atmosphere, feels the puff of Blue's exhale upon his sensitive skin. It feels a bit intense, after being so long ensheathed in his mask. The sensation makes the wiry, golden hairs of his thick black hide stand on end.

 _"--Alien?"_ Zero replies, muzzle twisting into a smirk.

It's true: even though Ganks are humanoid beings, they're _nothing_ like Blue's homo-sapien race. Ganks are a naturally carnivorous beings, and Zero knows that his sharp, _jagged_ teeth are providing Blue with an eyeful this predatory information. Like most of his brothers, Zero's ears are tall, pointed and proud: they rise high above his head, complimenting his long canines and slitted, golden eyes. His skin is dark, and his wiry, gold and black hair has a slight curl at the edges of his canine, boxy face. 

"I thought..." Blue whispers, clearly still too distracted to find the right words. His mouth hangs partially open, and a light pant moves through his chest. Zero almost wants to laugh: it's as if Blue has been struck particularly hard, and his big brain has stopped working for once. "I mean, I didn't think that--"

"--That I'd be some kinda _monster_?" Zero finishes. 

His toothy smile twists into a grimace. Without the voice filters of his helmet, his predatory features make his voice low and gravelly.

"I did warn ya, you know, buddy."

"No!" Blue chokes. "No, no, not _that."_ He waves a dismissive hand, cutting Zero off with surprising firmness.

Blue raises his hands--pale, soft-skinned un-callused and young--and hovers them just beside Zero's cheekbones.

"I mean..."

When Zero does not protest, Blue threads his long fingers through the curling fur.

"...That you're _beautiful_."

Zero feels his heart lurch in his chest.

The combination of the unexpectedly kind words, along with the feather-soft touch upon his pelt, makes him feel somewhere between ecstasy and passing out. 

"...Ahh?" He manages, grateful that Ganks do not blush like humans. "Uhhm, okay? I guess? That's...not what I was expecting."

Blue _grins._

It's not that false, painted smile: it's a full, face-wide, glimmering thing, full of triumph and joy. 

"Me neither!" he laughs, now gently kneading each fingertip into the valleys of Zero's skull. As usual, the human has no sense of boundaries--his hands roam, prodding the muscles of Zero's jawbone, caressing the dip of the sinuses above his wet nose.

"T-take it easy there, Blue." Zero breathes, his voice growing shaky. _Must be the comedown from all that adrenaline._

"Zero! You're like a loth-cat!" 

Zero chuckles, brows drawing together over his golden gaze.

"I'll try not to find that racist," he replies. It's not actually a displeasing comparison; plus, it feels good to have Blue's hands petting through his fur. "Typical human." He teases. "Anything not monkey-shaped is a pet." 

Blue laughs--that bright, _real_ sound of him again--and Zero finds himself smiling.

"Sorry, Zero." Blue scratches his bodyguard behind the ears. "I'm the worst? I guess?"

"You are." Zero confirms, allowing his eyes to drift closed at the touch. A rumbling purr starts low in his chest, and he feels air sighing out from his mouth and nose. _All of this interrogation is running me ragged. I_ _could really use a nap about now--_

"And what about _these_?" Blue asks, returning to his ever-curious probing.

He is currently tugging at Zero's leather-clad hands, and he begrudgingly opens his eyes to gaze at their intertwined fingers. 

_"...Hands?"_ Zero asks, unable to resist mocking Blue for his words. "You've got them too, you know."

Blue sticks out his tongue. He turns Zero's hand over, working his fingers up the glove until he's at the notch where they connect with Zero's suit.

"Can I see them?" he asks pointedly. 

Zero rolls his eyes. 

"If I said no, would it matter?"

Blue's clever hands freeze. "Of _course,"_ he says quickly. The teenager looks up at Zero, a surprisingly serious in his heavy gaze. "No one should ever just _have_ to say yes."

Zero's heart twists in his chest. He hasn't known Blue long, but by know, he know him _deep_ ; and what he knows is that Lord Adnau Wrengen has never been given the _choice_ to protect himself.

 _But I'm here now for you, Blue._ Zero thinks to himself. _I'll help protect you._

"Yes," Zero nods, giving him confirmation. "And...thanks." 

The teen flashes a smile, then immediately proceeds to peel away the leather of Zero's glove. In a short moment, Zero's furred paw-palm is exposed: five, long, ebony-clawed fingertips; razor-sharp to the touch, and _decidedly_ alien.

"Be careful," he adds to Blue as an after-thought, lost in the touch over his furred skin, "they're very sharp..."

And before he can get the words out of his mouth, Blue has already gone pricked his fragile skin.

"What did I say?!" Zero says, extricating his hand from Blue's bleeding fingertip. "C'mon, Blue! You're such a trouble-magnet."

"Says a lot about you." Blue smirks, bringing his hand up to his lip.

It strikes Zero again, as he watches Blue lick his brilliantly red blood off the pad of his thumb, that most Imperials ought be very _worried_ in this current situation: a secretive, 6'3'' Gank assassin, with razor-sharp claws and a taste for raw meat, has just revealed himself to his employer. But Blue... _doesn't_ seem worried. He seems _fascinated._

"...What're you thinking?" Blue asks, sticking his thumb into his mouth to suck. He watches Zero, cobalt eyes trained upon Zero's gold.

Zero pulls his glove back onto his hand. He recognizes the early signs of more intense curiosity blooming upon Blue's face: the kind that comes before he has a 8-hour-long stint of studying something under a microscope without hardly breathing. And he _really_ doesn't feel like sitting under a microscope. 

"I'm thinking," he says carefully, "that you're one of a kind, Blue."

Not just because Blue is smarter than most; not just because of his incessant questions; and _not_ just because of his bloodline and credits. It's because Blue is truly unique: a strange combination of fragile and fearless, childish and accelerated-maturity, desperate for praise, yet narcissistic beyond bounds. To Zero, his young charge is as much of a mystery to him as _he_ is to _Blue_. 

_And he'll be the death of me,_ Zero thinks once again. 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> This one has been sitting on my computer for a long time, so please forgive the errors! Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a comment and/or kudos if you have the time. <3


End file.
